Shitstorm: Inside Labor's Darkest Days

by Lenore Taylor, David Uren

From two of Australia’s most respected journalists comes the inside story of Kevin Rudd’s first term as Prime Minister. It is a tenure that will forever be defined by the Global Financial Crisis—or, to use Rudd’s term, the “shitstorm” that engulfed the nation and the world. Based on interviews with all of the key members of the government, this investigation reveals just how close Australia came to financial disaster, what Kevin Rudd and his colleagues did to avoid it, and how the serious mistakes they made along the way could threaten their reelection.

Genres: Politics

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent account of Rudd's first term during the global economic crisis and how he and Wayne Swan the then treasurer managed to avert Australia from fiscal disaster. It also highlights the fractions within the Liberal Party at the time about the Carbon Trading scheme and how Abbott ended up being leader - by one vote. Had he been outvoted Malcolm Turnbull would still be leader and we would have a very different budget now in 2014.

Tuggerah Library chuck out 1 of 10 books for $6 23/10/2013

[Simon Abernethy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting journalistic take on how Labor handled the GFC. Fascinating to read 7 years later taking into account all the fallout that followed after publication.

[James Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed and insightful account of the Rudd Government’s first term. A helpful refresher on stimulus measures on the time of COVID-19.

[Sandy Brogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my Labor days up at Parlie House